Julian Rafael Hassan Roden

Julian Rafael Hassan Roden

Expressionist Minimalist Perfectionist

As cosmic happenstance would have it I was born Julian Rafael Hassan Roden on February 21, 1995 at Little Company Of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Chicago, IL. That day I was born an Artist, immediately thrusted into my service to Humanity, only I hadn't known it. Not until I was around 12 at least. I was always very expressive, but never in a focused manner. I began writing anything from short stories to comics. I found my knack. I also started watching very thought provoking films around the same time, so I thought why not be a Director when I grow up?

I made a few parody spoofs of popular movie franchises that are now lost in cyberspace and kept on writing in any format I could. As soon as I entered high school I started and then finished writing my first feature film "Waterlogged" and first book of poetry "A Book Of Thoughts" by my Junior year. I took Radio/TV classes and joined the A/V club to aid my aspirations in film. Alongside that I was an AP student tri-athlete (Track/Pole Vault/Swimming) as well as a Lifeguard for Thornwood High School and The Chicago Park District. Graduation was fast approaching and that's when "The Noise", my first music video/song, was produced releasing only one and a half months after I walked across the stage. I had my first experience with psychedelics and then painted my first piece "Chaos (Life)". Suddenly I was in the "real world".

I got a motorcycle (a gift from my father), moved out of my mom's, and kept working for the Chicago Park District as a lifeguard full time, bypassing college. I painted in my free time, but couldn't provide my full attention to my craft because I had to pay the bills. I then suffered a motorcycle accident that was hindering my work. All signs pointed to making Art for a living. This is why I'm here on earth after all. I'm one of the few lucky ones who knows their purpose. So I quit my good job with benefits when I was just 18 to become a full time Artist with no inclination to starve. I moved back home continuing expanding my portfolio painting, starting to write my second feature film "Chicago Knights" and second book of poetry "575".

I started delving into LSD which totally changed my perspective on life. I was motivated and inspired to the point where I was painting exponentially. Feeling I had amassed enough work for an exhibition I started seeking out galleries. I had been providing Art Direction for DBTRINITY on his debut album "Seven Sacred Sounds" when he introduced me to the New Deal Crew, whom I formed a close brotherhood with. All of 2014 we crashed the culture by throwing free parties and shows across Chicago. I launched WWJRHRD.com in the summer and wrote music reviews for ThePlaceForThings.org. In the fall I got in touch with Elee X who let me rent his space, elee.mosynary gallery, for my 1st Exhibition. "THE WORLD REALIZED" displayed 24 of my masterworks over the span of 3 days with one special night show in late December 2014.

Following 2014's successes, another album I had done the Art direction for, John Scott's "ETHEREALITY", released 1-05-2015. I used my earnings from painting sales to take a short trip to New York in February for my 20th birthday to feel out the scene there. Upon my return in March I had agreed to live paint the cover for iLL Neal's album "Golden Odyssey" at Apothecary Gallery which was a block down from elee.mosynary gallery. After that on 4-20-2015 "Seven Sacred Sounds" was finally out. I took it as a cue to get out into the world again, set out from home and began couch hopping like a vegabond. I was living homeless for a month or so before suffering a mental breakdown from not taking the best care of myself. I hadn't been eating or sleeping well and I had increased/brodened my drug intake eventually leading to a short stint of institutionalization.

Once I recovered, I returned home, detoxified my mind body and soul, made amends with those I hurt and knew I had to start from square one. June 21, 2015 I announced SPACE + TIME as my second exhibition and painted them in late January and early February the following year. I released the images online on my 21st birthday, but hadn't shown them in a gallery. So I expanded the exhibition in April of 2016 to include another series: SPACE + TIME & ROMANS (the exhibition ran June 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th 2017 @ Co-Prosperity Sphere).

In late July 2016 I finished writing "Chicago Knights". After finishing my 2nd Exhibition I announced "ENERGY & MATTER", which will happen XX-XX-XXX. iLL Neal's "Golden Odyssey" is still in production and has a slated release of XX-XX-XXXX as well. I'm still currently writing "575" and just began writing my third feature film "The Phantom". My debut album "LSD On LSD" is slated for release in 2018. TELEX Design is hopefully going to launch it's first product the "HALO I" in 2018 as well. I will update this information as it develops. Thank you.